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A Helping Hand

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Wearing

I’m originally from Holland, and I’m here with my husband, who works in a bank in Singapore.We’re looking for a house right now. I’ve been here twice before to visit a friend, who also lived here with her husband. Hopefully I find a job, but that’s difficult for somebody who’s not living in Singapore and comes from another country.

How long have you been a child psychologist for?Seven years. It’s a really nice job; difficult sometimes, but I like it. I like helping children and parents.

What are you hoping to work as?I hope to work in a school. There is a Dutch school here in Singapore, so hopefully I can work there. Otherwise, I’d work in a clinic or hospital. That’s what I hope, but I’m not sure what’s going to happen! Till then, I’m going to college to learn about English history. I can meet other people in college as well.

What are some of your biggest challenges in your work?To help everybody. There are a lot of children whom you can’t help, because their problems are too big or their parents don’t understand everything you say. That’s difficult, but I like when it’s difficult, because we have a lot of things to do! Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t work, but it’s okay. That’s part of the job.

What’s the most difficult case you’ve come across?Sexual abuse of a child who was eight years old, whose parents were drug addicts. You can’t help the system, because it’s so destroyed. I took care of the child, a girl, and put her in a place for children with a lot of problems. She’s better now—better than she would have been with her parents, I think.